Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Surf City
October 22, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.com
One in three Surf City listings didn't sell in the last year
In Surf City over the last 12 months, 231 of 341 listings sold, and 110 didn't. That's 1 in 3, or 32%, up from 27% the year before. The typical sold home went for $599,000, and listings that didn't sell sat a median 187 days.
Summary written October 21, 2026 from that day's numbers. The figures in the tiles update every hour, so they can differ slightly.
Which pile do you want to be in?
Out of every 20 homes listed in Surf City over the last 12 months, the solid houses sold. The outlined ones expired or were canceled.
Priced right from day one: sold in a median 23 days. Needed price cuts: 107 days, and sold for 93.4% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Property taxes | $368 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $499 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| Your mortgage payment | if you have one |
| About | $1,372 + mortgage |
About $1,372 every month the home sits — plus your mortgage payment.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 187 days — roughly $8,425 in taxes, insurance, upkeep and utilities alone, and the home still didn't sell.
An example, not a quote: Pender County rate 0.7375 per $100 (NC Department of Revenue, 2025-26 county rates); town taxes add more inside town limits; insurance, upkeep (1% of value a year) and utilities are typical estimates.
When contracts fall apart
Contracts that fell apart
23%
69 of about 300 before closing
Those homes that later sold
65%
33% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
93.8%
vs. 97.1% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
159
vs. 47 on the first contract
The MLS doesn't record why a contract ends. In our experience the most common reasons are home inspection findings, appraisals that come in below the price, and buyer financing. How buyers paid on closed sales: conventional 59% · cash 18% · VA 10% · FHA 5%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one. Homes priced right from the start sold in a median 22 days.
- Ask the $1M+ range about risk. 47% of listings in that range didn't sell, the worst of any price range here.
- Waiting costs money. Listings that never sold took a median 2.5% price cut and sat a median 187 days.
- Prepare for contracts to fall apart. 23% did, about one in four. Inspection, appraisal or financing issues are most often the cause, based on general industry experience.
If you're buying
- There's room to negotiate. 78% of homes sold below their first asking price, and the typical sale was 96.5% of first ask.
- Some homes sit. Listings that never sold sat a median 187 days, so you can take your time on those.
- Here's how buyers are paying. 59% used conventional loans, 18% paid cash, 10% used VA and 5% used FHA.
Did you know?
- Homes in Surf City typically took 66 days to sell.
- When a contract fell apart, 65% of those homes later sold, and 33% never sold.
- The $300–400K range had the lowest didn't-sell rate, at 8%, compared with 47% in the $1M+ range.
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Thinking of selling in Surf City? What it takes and what it costs →
For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
32%
up 5.9 pts from a year ago
110 expired or canceled vs 230 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
96.3%
down 0.4 pts from a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
78%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
2.5%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
67
up 25 days from a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
3.7%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
21%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$602K
down 7.5% from a year ago
230 homes sold
The last 24 months
33% latest month · Sep 26
48 latest month · Sep 26
93.0% latest month · Sep 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 2 | 7 | 78% | 7 | 99.5% |
| $300–400K | 59 | 5 | 8% | 85 | 95.2% |
| $400–500K | 30 | 6 | 17% | 46 | 96.9% |
| $500–750K | 38 | 13 | 26% | 38 | 97.1% |
| $750K–1M | 46 | 31 | 40% | 83 | 97.4% |
| $1M+ | 55 | 48 | 47% | 90 | 95.5% |
Neighborhoods in Surf City
| Neighborhood | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterside | 79 | 7 | 8% | 54 | 96.2% |
Homes only (land excluded), last 12 months unless noted. "Didn't sell" = listings that expired or were canceled — withdrawn and on-hold listings are not counted (some owners stop for reasons that have nothing to do with the market); true days on market counts from the first listing, even when a home was relisted. Source: Hive MLS listing and sales records, updated October 22, 2026. Totals only — no individual listing is shown. Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · (910) 395‑1000